ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) relates to sudden and momentary electric current that flows between two objects at different electrical potentials and is caused by direct contact or is induced by an electrostatic field. ESD sometimes occurs as a result of built up charges on a person or an object. When the person or an object comes in close proximity to a different electrical potential, a discharge occurs. The discharge produces a current pulse with a very fast rise time.
ESD at certain levels has the capability of damaging some electronic equipment. In particular, it is known that ESD may cause a temporary interruption or permanent damage to Point of Sale (POS) payment terminals used in payment transactions. Recently, the addition of more metal-based components or secure elements in or on payment devices such as debit or credit cards, has increased the risk of an ESD event that may be sufficient enough to disturb the payment transaction.
Therefore, a need for a solution as guidelines and testing methods for testing the payment devices (e.g credit and debit cards) has been raised. Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.